


Hero and a Scholar

by rhombal



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-05-06 00:43:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 14,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5396378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhombal/pseuds/rhombal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hamilton college AU. Basically takes the plot of the musical and twists it into a college AU, which means that each chapter is a song.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1: Alexander Hamilton

**Author's Note:**

> PS: this is 75% complete at this moment but I am posting it bit by bit because I wrote most of it in two days like I was running out of time and then forgot about it for a month, so now I need to finish it and the holidays are slightly hectic - but I wanted to get the ball rolling and send it out into the world. Bear with me! I haven't written fic in years and years so it may be a little rough around the edges, but I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Hopefully this will be the first of many. There's a million AUs I haven't done. Just you wait, just you wait.
> 
> PPS: I took a loooong hiatus (almost a year!) but now I'm back and hopefully finishing this thing!

Hanover College. 

The second Aaron Burr stepped onto campus, he knew it was where he was going to make his mark. Hanover College was a sprawling college campus near Albany, New York. It had handsome historic buildings, lush green lawns, towering oak trees, and a rich background in the liberal arts. That was, at least, what the brochure said. The actual campus wasn’t quite the same as the subtly brightened and altered photographs in the brochures and on the school website, but Aaron Burr was from New Jersey.

The campus was a literal breath of fresh air.

Yes, Hanover College. Burr knew that he was going to thrive there. He had excelled in high school - graduating second in his class - and had submitted an impressive application. Although, he had dabbled in multiple extracurricular activities without finding one that suited him.

He was going into the first year of college undecided. After all, he told himself, most college students did that. Most college students didn’t know what they wanted until their second or third year at school. He didn’t want to commit to a major and then discover that it wasn’t something he wanted to pursue. Nobody really knew _exactly_ what they were going to do right when they got into college.

At least, Burr thought that until he met his roommate.


	2. 2: Aaron Burr, Sir

Alexander Hamilton was so frickin’ excited about finally going to college that he couldn’t wait to check into his dorm room. He was the first in line for the registration booth, already sporting a “GO EAGLES!” pennant that he had picked up in the student center shop. Free when he signed up for their bookstore’s mailing list.

All he knew about his roommates was that he had four of them and they were in a suite style dorm room with two doubles and a single room. He was living in one of the doubles and his roommate’s name was--

“Aaron Burr?” He asked excitedly, dropping the pile of books he was trying to organize and offering a hand to the young man walking into the room. “Hi. It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Alexander Hamilton. Alex. I hope you don’t mind, but I Googled you before I came here and I found out that we have a ton in common. You were also on student council in high school, right? And the debate team? God - I hope they have both of these here at Hanover. I guess we’ll find out at the student fair. They were fine in high school and they looked great on my application, but I just didn’t feel challenged enough--”

Burr extricated his hand from the handshake and offered a small, guarded smile. “Nice to meet you, Alex. What’s your schedule like this semester?”

“Oh, wow. Well. Funny you asked. See, I’m taking a 18 credit course load this semester - and I need to find a job or two - and I know it sounds crazy, but I’m going to have to do this every semester if I’m going to finish my triple major in time to graduate in four years.”

“...Triple major?”

“Yeah! Well - kind of. More like two and a half. There would probably be more if I hadn’t stopped myself, but I’ve decided that I’m majoring in Political Science and Finance with a minor in English. I mean, English should be a breeze since I’m here on an essay-writing scholarship, but there’s always room to grow. What about you?”

Burr shrugged, beginning to feeling tired just from talking to his new roommate. “I’m undecided.”

Hamilton stopped in his tracks. He had been pacing the room and unpacking at the same time. He stared, a book hanging from his right hand. “Undecided? But - how? How do you not know what you’re going to do with your life?”

“I just don’t want to commit to anything yet.”

“But - the only way you’re going to become the best at _something_ in college is if you throw yourself wholeheartedly into it at the very beginning! The toughest part about college is that everyone is that much better and that competition is that much fiercer. If you don’t pull away from the pack now, then you’ll never make it. Why waste time being undecided? Don’t you have something you’re passionate about?”

Burr shrugged. “That’s a tricky question. I _enjoy_ things. I’m _interested_ in things. I think passion is silly. Passion is letting your emotions control you. Passion is saying everything you’re thinking.” He couldn’t help it. He gave Hamilton a pointed look here.

Hamilton was about to respond to this shot at him when the door to their room burst open and a small human tornado burst in. 

“Yo yo yo, you guys, the party is in the HOUSE. Let’s hear it for the first day of college!!” The new guy gave them both a winning smile. “Hi. If by ‘party’, I mean ‘me’, John Laurens - and I do.”

For the second time, Burr gave Hamilton a pointed look as if to say “do you see what I mean by ‘talking too much’?”. Hamilton just shook Laurens’ hand and slapped him on the back. “Nice to meet you, Laurens. I Googled you, too--”

“Really, dude? That’s some creepy shit,” he said, a tone of approval in his voice.

“--and I have to say, your political blog is top-notch. I think we’ll get along well.”

Laurens was quickly followed suit by the two students sharing the room next door. Of course, Hamilton had Googled them all.

“Ah, Lafayette, right? I don’t know how to pronounce your full name. Sorry. I mean - pardon. And bonjour.”

“Merci. These American ‘dorms’ are so fascinating,” Lafayette said, thick French accent in top form. “I am here in America to study the international relations, but I am also very excited to, er, how you say - tailgate? What is everyone else’s studies?”

“Communications,” Laurens pronounced cheerfully. “I know it’s basically an easy out academically, but I’m mostly so fucking excited to see what student groups they have here. I ran, like, three different extracurricular groups in high school. It was mad. I was also student liaison for equality my last two years there.”

“And don’t forget your blog,” Hamilton said, already giving Laurens a look of admiration, before launching into a long-winded explanation of his four year plan. “Then I’m going to try to finish my Masters and PhD in a combined five year plan. We’ll see. I might have to take six years.”

“Fashion design for me,” Hercules Mulligan said, interrupting the awed silence. Everyone blinked at him for a moment. “It’s how you meet the ladies.”

There was a chorus of “ahhhh”s and “that’s smart, bro”.

“I gotta uphold the family trade, too,” he continued. “There’s some real money in that shit. My minor is in investigative journalism.”

Finally, it was Aaron Burr’s turn. “I’m undecided.”

It would have been fine if he had left it alone at that. An undecided major wasn’t a big deal to most of them. Hamilton had blown off some steam explaining his career path. Burr was a little dull, but Laurens and Lafayette made friends easily and if he had been friendly, would have stuck up for him to Hamilton and Mulligan. He could have easily fit in with the other four.

He continued. “A major is an important decision. I don’t understand how all of you can know what you’re doing the very first year of college. Give it more time. I also don’t see why you decided to attend Hanover in the first place if you’re so interested in extracurriculars and student activities. Hanover is very traditional and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I think you’ll all end up very disappointed.”

Oh, Burr.


	3. 3: My Shot

Hamilton already had a laundry list of things he wanted to get done at Hanover college in his first year.  
1) Start chipping away at the requirements for his two majors and one minor.  
2) Get a job.  
3) Probably get a second job.  
4) Join as many organizations as he could.  
5) Continue growing his blog and Twitter account.

He had a decently active and successful Twitter account. It was 90% politics and social issues, 10% his life. Most of his popularity was due to the fact that he replied to people a lot. Both him and the internet loved the act of oversharing. His blog was slightly less successful. He had a tendency to be long-winded and often received “tl;dr” comments. However, he was well-written and - most important of all - consistently prolific. His audience on both platforms continued growing and growing.

His latest blog entry:

“Readers, I hate to admit it, but my bore of a roommate - hi, Aaron, I know you probably read this - might be right.

What sort of school only offers a limited number of student groups and refuses to either fund the existing groups or provide an adequate support network to begin others? Student groups and extracurricular activities are the bread and butter of a thriving college. Not only do they provide the opportunity to develop essential skills needed for post-college success, but they also give students the chance to interact with each other and develop inter-personal relations that will carry on beyond their college years.

Hanover College has a small - but thriving - drama group, a fairly active and overachieving newspaper staff which yours truly is now a part of, and a few other smaller groups, but the star child of the school is, unsurprisingly, in its athletics department. The soccer team. The Eagles. Not only are they extremely successful, but much of the funding goes towards providing scholarships for the team’s star players, uniforms, travel, etc. As long as it is related to the soccer team, it is funded.

Now, I find this unfair. I know this might seem hypocritical since I myself am attending Hanover on a writing scholarship, but why shouldn’t I also have the right to develop MY particular set of skills? Why should my college experience be sub-par to those of the soccer team? Why is Hanover so set in its traditions that it can’t see its students are unhappy with the current extracurricular activities provided? Why is there no way for us students to represent ourselves or speak with the Board of Trustees?

I won’t lie - it’s a blessing in itself that I’m able to attend college to begin with. I have only touched on this in the past, readers, but after my mother passed away and with my father still out of the picture, I was very lucky that some family friends decided to take me in. They gave me a roof over my head and food every single day because they saw something in me. Not only did I participate in as many extracurricular activities as I could, but I also made sure that I was top of my class because I did not want to disappoint them - and I knew that this hard work would eventually repay me in some form of a scholarship. I was right. My future goal is to put myself in a situation where I can repay them for their kindness and generosity.

This is my one chance to set things in motion despite my background and upbringing. I am not going to throw away my shot at laying down a foundation for my future success - and for that to happen, if I have to single-handedly start and run the student groups that I want to see on campus, then I will do it.

Yours truly and your obedient servant,  
A.Ham”

He posted it and closed this laptop.

“Heeeeeeeeey,” at that moment Laurens swung into the room, one hand hanging onto the door jamb. “Yo, Alex. There’s a frat holding its rush party tonight. They kinda found a workaround to the whole ‘student activities’ thing. The school provides funds for sororities and fraternities, because for some deluded reason they find them within school traditions - so why not have a fraternity _for_ whatever organization the students want to start? It’s basically a frat for all like-minded individuals on campus. I figured you’d be in. ....it’s also a kegger.”

“Definitely count me in.”

They fist-bumped each other and Laurens grinned. “Let’s do some shots together, bro.”


	4. 4: The Story of Tonight

The house party was a success. Unfortunately, most of the other attendees were more interested in drinking than in talking about the state of the school board and other broader, more far-reaching political topics. Why not both?

“But like, seriously, man, you are the best. I read your blog all the time. I like, backread it three months the other night.” Laurens put his hand on Hamilton’s arm. “You don’t even know. You’re just so eloquent and well-written.”

“No, no, but - you have a blog too!” Alex protested, pausing to take a swig of his drink. “Everything you wrote about the current primaries? Fascinating. It was such a-- such a _concise_ breakdown of the current political atmosphere.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Is this how American men show affection for each other?” Lafayette asked, still giving the red Solo cup in his hand a dubious look. Unfortunately, the house party had no wine.

“When drunk, yeah,” Mulligan laughed. “But shit - we really have something here. You know, just sitting here right now? We really have four people who can do something. Who can make something happen, y’know?”

Hamilton walked - well, stumbled - over and slung his arms around the two of them. “Y’see that guy right over there? The one wearing a fucking polo shirt and slacks to a frat house party?”

“Which on-- oh, him? The one drinking beer out of an actual pint glass?”

“Yuuup.”

“What about him?”

“I hear his father makes a yearly donation to the school and that the college is named after their family line. Like, Hanover. The Hanover line. He’s always hanging around campus, poking his nose where it doesn’t belong. Nobody knows if he’s registered for any classes!”

“Ah yes, _King_ George,” Lafayette said, snidely. “I have heard about his family in France before I came here. They are important in England, yes, but all he does is try to control this school and make terrible fashion choices. Just like the English, no?”

“That’s bullshit, though. The Board of Trustees won’t listen to the students, but they’ll listen to some rich white guy from _England_? This is like, the future. We gotta change it.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“We’re with you, dude,” Laurens agreed, “but first we gotta do another shot.”


	5. 5: The Schuyler Sisters

It had taken nearly the entire summer for Angelica to convince their father to let them move out, but she had finally done it. It was a proud moment in her life.

“Honey,” her father had told her, “you don’t need to do it. We’re just 20 minutes away from campus. Everything you need is at home.”

It wasn’t a money issue, of course, Her father - Phillip Schuyler - was probably _the_ most prominent man in Albany and their family fortune was immense, but her father was also extremely overprotective of her and her sisters, to say the least. Angelica had commuted to campus during her freshman year and the only way she had been able to convince him that she needed an apartment was because Eliza had also decided to attend Hanover and they would be living together.

“It’s just more convenient for us to live this close,” she explained to him. “It lets us feel more involved with what’s going on in the campus. We’ll visit every week, anyway. What are you going to do when Eliza decides that she’s going to start taking classes or pursue an internship at the downtown NYC hub of the school? She’ll have to with her degree in social work.”

“That’s another thing I don’t understand. Why does Eliza want to work in the _city_? It’s so crowded and dirty. At least you can practice law anywhere - including Albany. Can you talk to her for us, sweetie?”

Angelica just smiled. The pressures of being a Schuyler sister.

That night, she was grateful their apartment was so close to her last evening class, just so she could immediately kick off her shoes and collapse on the couch. “Ugh.”

“Long day?” Eliza looked up from where she was sitting at the kitchen table, books spread out in front of her.

“You bet. I still have a midterm to study for, an essay to write, and some research to do. I don’t really want to go to the library.”

“Why not? Do you want me to come with?”

Angelica shrugged. “Eh. Only if you want. Last time I went, this guy kept creepily staring at me from his table. He finally sent one of his buddies over to get my phone number. I turned him down, of course. If he doesn’t have the guts to ask me out himself, why should I say yes?”

Eliza shook her head. “You’re just too pretty, Angelica. Have you heard from Peggy, by the way?”

“No, what’s she up to?”

“She texted me a little earlier. She got asked out to homecoming today but also had to turn him down because he wasn’t “Daddy-approved”.”

“We’re too pretty and men are terrible,” Angelica said, solemnly. “That’s the Schuyler sister life.”


	6. 6: Farmer Refuted

“Who the hell is this Samuel guy? If I was the editor of the newspaper, I wouldn’t have let this nonsense get published. It’s just a rehash of everything that the Board of Trustees has been saying,” Hamilton said, shaking out the student newspaper and squinting at the op-ed on the first page again. “ _This college is steeped in tradition and though some would enjoy the disruption of everything that the Board of Trustees stand for - I, for one, have complete faith in those in charge of making decisions for the student body. They have a long lineage of leading this college towards success and I place my entire trust in them. After all, we are merely college students. Who are we to say what is best for us?_ ”

Mulligan whistled. “That’s some goddamn bullshit right there.”

“Well, I suppose that’s that. It was a good run, but I’m done with the student newspaper,” Hamilton announced. “They’re obviously biased and under control of the Board of Trustees.”

“We need some way to respond to that article, though,” Lafayette said. 

“Exactly. That’s why I’m going to publish a pamphlet on why we need change _right_ now - before the Board gains even more control over the student activities - and post it all over school for everyone to see. We’ll see if they take notice then.”


	7. 7: You'll Be Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one short little chapter today, but if these chapters were my children, I would be sending this one off to school every single day with the best lunches and cute little notes - because it is one of my favorites.
> 
> Dedicated to R, who came up with most of this plot with me one night when it was very late and we were crying over Hamilton.
> 
> \---

George - excuse me, _King_ George - was taking a delightful stroll through the campus on a very crisp and refreshing November morning when he noticed the red, white, and blue pamphlets fluttering from nearly every bulletin board and post. Those were the school colors, so perhaps they had announced another soiree without notifying him? The nerve!

He took one down and began reading it, expression going from concerned to absolutely furious. How _dare_ they! How dare this young man! The impudence of him! The pamphlets were an insult to his family - nay, to his very _person_.

The next day, the pamphlets had all been taken down and the student newspaper had a new front page article.

“My beloved students,” it began, the “M” capitalized in a hand-written, old-fashioned style, “I am extremely disappointed in how you have treated the very heart and soul of this college - yours truly. The Hanover line is a very old and important one. It has its roots in [redacted for long history about George’s family] And thus, I am severely disappointed that this so-called Alexander Hamilton would slander the name of the very family that is providing him with an excellent education. I only have a few choice words to say to him: don’t do it again. Or else. Yours, fondly, King George.”

There was also, inexplicably, a picture of many cats.

King George sat in his apartment and read through his article, nodding along in agreement to words that he himself had written. “An excellent article. Don’t you agree, Georgia?”

A calico cat sitting next to him on the couch started purring. From the kitchen came the noise of paper rustling.

“Virginia? Virginia! Don’t you _dare_.” King George stood up. “Are you and Massachusetts getting into trouble again? Massachusetts, if you take my expensive, _imported_ tea and drop it into the toilet again, I swear - I will place you in time out! I’ll do it. I’ll lock you in my room!”


	8. 8: Right Hand Man

As luck would have it, Hamilton, Laurens, Mulligan, and Lafayette were all in the same American Government class. Their TA was a graduate student who was completing his Masters in agricultural studies - but the professor of the class had been so fond of him that he had asked him to return as a teaching assistant. Enter George Washington.

For their final project, the four had decided to start a student council at the college.

“It’s a tough situation,” Washington told them over dinner. They were holding a study group at his off-campus apartment. Both him and his fiancee Martha were great cooks. “I’ve tried to start a student council or at least create some form of student feedback in the past before and have been turned down many times. What we need is a concrete plan before we meet with the Board of Trustees. That’s why I’m going to advise the four of you to just draft your plan rather than go forward with starting a student council without approval.”

“But - I don’t want to just put something down in writing for my final project,” Alex protested. “That’s boring. I mean, I could do it. I could do it well - but I want to actually _do_ something.”

“You are doing something,” George said patiently. “I love Hanover College, but I don’t think they realize that if they don’t change soon, they’ll stop attracting and producing high quality students. They’re behind on the times, sure, but it’ll take plenty of patience and hard work before we can change anything.”

“Okay, fine,” Hamilton said, “We’ll write out the plan for our final project.”

“Great. It’s settled, then. Oh - and Martha, before they head out, let’s remember to wrap up some of these leftovers for them. I don’t want them eating all that unhealthy dorm food every single day.”

“You two are simply fantastic,” Lafayette said, happily. “Nobody would do this much in France. Oh, you are hungry? Well, too bad, go buy yourself a baguette!”

Twenty minutes later, Martha handed them each a tinfoil wrapped container and smiled at them as they collected their jackets. “It’s starting to snow, so make sure you get back to your dorm before it gets too bad. Make sure one of you texts George when you get there, okay?”

“Okay, thanks Mom! Thanks Dad!” Laurens said, half-sarcastic - but they all couldn’t help but look back and wave at the two figures standing in the doorway as they left the building.


	9. 9: A Winter's Ball

Finals were over. Laurens and Mulligan were headed home to their parents over winter break and Lafayette was headed back to France until the next semester started. Hamilton planned on staying with George and Martha while the dormitories were closed. However, there was one last event before everyone went their separate ways for a short while.

Every single year after the first semester of the school year, the Schuyler family held a ball at their mansion in downtown Albany. The entire school population wasn’t invited, of course - just the honor roll students.

Almost everyone had excelled in their first year at Hanover - including Burr - though Laurens just eked into the honor roll. He was better at talking than test-taking, though his political blog was taking off in its own right.

“Those are some sweet pants, Mulligan.”

“Thanks, Laurens. They were my final exam.” Mulligan nodded his head towards Hamilton. “Look at him. I don’t know why all the ladies love him with his ridiculous clothes and mile-a-minute chatter, but they do. Must be nice.”

Burr and Hamilton were both flirts in their own right, but Burr was a little afraid of commitment. 

Hamilton just hadn’t found the right woman yet.


	10. 10: Helpless

Eliza prided herself on being stable and dependable. She knew she was the main reason her father had let her and Angelica move out. She was the one who texted their mother every day and called her every two or three days.

She made friends easily and was very well-liked at Hanover College already, but if Angelica was in the same room as you - nobody looked at anyone else. Angelica didn’t even do it on purpose. She was just one of those people that everyone was drawn to. She was a natural flirt and charmer without even trying.

While Angelica played hostess and danced with every guy in the room - and some of the ladies - Eliza stood off to the side and talked with a few girlfriends.

Suddenly, he walked in. He was with a few friends - but Eliza only saw him and it was as if everything else in the room faded away. She had heard about him in passing, of course, sometimes from her father about the “Alexander Hamilton kid” who was causing a little trouble but also making some good points about the set-up of the college. She had seen him in the distance and pictured some stuffy, history-obsessed geek trapped away in their room 24/7 furiously writing things on the internet - but right now, he was talking with his friends and laughing. He looked full of energy, full of life, a mischievous light in his eyes, almost like a male version of--

Oh, and there was Angelica, making a bee-line for him. Eliza felt her stomach clench up and her heart start beating rapidly. He was exactly Angelica’s type. Smart. Fearless. She was his type. There was no doubt who he would be more attracted to. They spoke for a minute or two and when Angelica glanced over at Eliza, she tried to convey what she was feeling - a desperate “hey, give me a chance” look - but she wasn’t sure if it had worked. Her head reeled because she had never felt this way about anyone before. She felt like she had lost control of her emotions and her heart, like everything was racing out of control - and that terrified her.

Angelica and Hamilton shared a laugh. Angelica grabbed him by the hand and began leading him across the room.

Okay, Eliza. She told herself. If there is one time in your life to make a stand, it’s now.

She stepped in front of the two of them and smiled at Hamilton. “Hi. I was hoping I’d get a chance to meet you. I really admire what you’re trying to do for the school. I’m Eliza Schuyler.”

Hamilton looked like a hyperactive dog caught between a someone asking “go for a walk?” and someone about to throw a ball. “Schuyler?”

“Alex, this is my sister Eliza,” Angelica said, releasing his hand.

He gave Eliza a fake bow and a wink that was somehow charming rather than skeezy. “If I somehow improve your academic life through my actions, it’ll be worth it.”

Angelica paused, expression unreadable, then smiled. “Ask Eliza about her future career plans, Alex. I think you would enjoy them. I’m going to go grab a drink.”


	11. 11: Satisfied

It was almost the end of the winter break and Angelica mulled over the last outfit that she was going to fit into her duffel bag to bring back to the apartment. Everyone thought of Angelica as someone who was dangerously witty and full of life - but nobody realized that she was also a perfectionist.

There was a knock on her door. “Come in!”

Eliza opened the door, looking nervous in a dark blue blouse and jeans. “Hi. Do I look okay? Is this outfit too casual?”

Angelica took a step back and looked at her for a second. “You look absolutely gorgeous. Why are you so nervous? Isn’t this your fifth date with him?”

“Yes - but it’s going to be our first _official_ date as boyfriend and girlfriend. I can’t believe Dad gave his approval. I mean, I think I was going to date him regardless, but--”

“Calm down, Eliza. It’ll be wonderful. He’s wonderful.”

“Yes, he is,” Eliza said dreamily. She smiled. “Thanks, Angelica. I’ll see you tomorrow when we move back.”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Angelica said in a sing-song voice and they both laughed, knowing full well that Eliza would never even do half the things that Angelica _did_ do.

After the door closed behind her sister, Angelica sat down on the bed and let her expression fall. Where had everything gone wrong? 

She thought back to that night. 

She had been playing good daughter, dancing with and entertaining most of the guests that were present at the ball, mostly so neither of her sisters had to. One of them - who had asked her out multiple times - was busy regaling her with his winter vacation plans. He was going to _Spain_. Had she ever been? It was so cultured. So different than in the states. She really needed to experience it if she hadn’t already - but women shouldn’t travel alone, so if she needed a travel partner….

Then, he walked in. He was dressed inconspicuously, but he walked into the room in full friendly argument with one of his friends, gesturing wildly, eyes passionate, laughing, talking - full of energy. Was this Alexander Hamilton? She had to get to know him.

Angelica excused herself from the conversion mid-explanation of tapas and walked towards Hamilton.

“Welcome to the party, sir,” she said, dropping into a mock curtsy. “I’m Angelica Schuyler.”

“Alex,” he said, offering her a hand as his friends peeled off to grab themselves drinks and food. “No offence - I know this is your house and your party, but you don’t look like the type of woman that belongs here.”

She was taken aback. After all, she had just been playing hostess. “Excuse me?”

“I don’t think this is your scene. It’s too dull. It’s too steeped in tradition. This ball happens every year, doesn’t it? You’re bored of it. You want something fresh, new, and exciting.”

“I see. You’ve read me so quickly?”

“I can see it all in your eyes,” he said simply, making eye contact with her. Her heart skipped a beat. This was stupid. Why was she reacting like this?

She’d play it cool. She smiled at him, expression mischievous, teasing. “Really? What are my eyes saying now?”

Her hostess mentality got the best of her and she took a quick scan of the room to make sure that everyone was doing okay - and her eyes met Eliza’s. Eliza was staring at Hamilton, absolutely gob-smacked in the same way that Angelica had just felt but not shown.

That was her decision made for her, then. She didn’t hear Hamilton’s response because her brain was too busy processing the current situation. Her father had been pressuring one of the daughters to give the son of a friend of the family a chance - also a big name, also rich - a very nice young man but nobody exciting. Her father had also been struggling with some health issues on and off recently, which worried the entire family. 

Here were the facts:  
Angelica loved her mother. Her mother wanted Angelica to eventually take over the household and uphold the family name.  
Angelica loved her father. Despite his overprotectiveness, she was worried about him and wanted him to be happy. If that meant going on a date or two with a bland young man, then so be it.  
Angelica loved her sisters. If her dating “respectable” men meant that her sisters were able to date who they wanted, that was a sacrifice she was willing to make.  
Angelica loved Eliza. Eliza was so trusting, so kind. Eliza was logical. Eliza never fell in love at first sight. Eliza could never hear the truth. If she ever told Eliza her feelings for Alex, she would refuse to ever even speak to the man - but the fact was, it would eat her up inside more than what Angelica was about to do.

Above everything else, Angelica was strong.

“You’re wrong,” Angelica slipped back into the conversation smoothly. “They’re saying: I probably need this man to come with me to grab a drink.”

“Are you trying to get me drunk?”

“Yes,” she replied, and they both laughed. She grabbed his hand. “Come on. Let’s head towards your inevitable destiny.”

As they made their way across the room, Angelica purposefully directed him towards Eliza. Come on, Eliza, make your move. It was both a relief and a heartbreak when Eliza stepped forward.

“Hi. I was hoping I’d get a chance to meet you. I really admire what you’re trying to do for the school. I’m Eliza Schuyler.”

Hamilton looked like a hyperactive dog caught between a someone asking “go for a walk?” and someone about to throw a ball. “Schuyler?”

“Alex, this is my sister Eliza,” Angelica said, releasing his hand reluctantly. She took a step backwards.

He gave Eliza a fake bow and a wink that was somehow charming rather than skeezy. “If I somehow improve your academic life through my actions, it’ll be worth it.”

Angelica paused for a second. This was her last chance. She could probably still convince Alex to go with her to get a drink - but at the risk of disappointing Eliza. She swallowed, then smiled. “Ask Eliza about her future career plans, Alex. I think you would enjoy them. I’m going to go grab a drink.”

She walked out of the room by herself.


	12. 12: The Story of Tonight (Reprise)

The aftermath of another house party. Burr was sitting alone in the living room, studying, when his housemates walked in. 

“Mulligan, don’t worry, you got it,” Laurens was saying. “She was into you, dude. I’m sure she’ll give you a call.”

“If you say so,” Mulligan said, dubious.

“Here’s the thing. We’re all good-looking.” Laurens spread his hands out to gesture at everyone.

Everyone murmured their agreement.

“We’re all charming. We’re all smart. But…” Everyone waited. “...how the _fuck_ did Alexander Hamilton of all people land Eliza Schuyler?”

The entire group started laughing and jokingly punching Hamilton in the arm.

Burr cleared his throat.

“Oh-- sorry, _Aaron_ , didn’t see you there. Didn’t realize someone would be studying on a Friday night,” Laurens said. “Not out with your laaadyfriend?”

“Wait, you have a girlfriend, Burr?” Hamilton asked.

“Not a girlfriend. Just a girl - who happens to be a friend. After all, who knows where we’ll end up after college?”

“I dunno, Burr, like Beyonce says about rings and fingers...” Burr rolled his eyes. “No, no-- I’m serious, Burr. I’m not joking. Ask her out. Commit to something. Come with us to the next house party. Have fun! Fall in love and do shots.”

Hamilton gave him an earnest, pleading look and for one second, Burr wanted to relent. He really did have a lot in common with Hamilton when one took personality out of the picture. He didn’t think too much of Hamilton’s friends, but sometimes he longed to be a part of the group, to belong somewhere.

He shook his head. “No, thank you.”


	13. 13: Wait For It

Burr had a few friends at school, mostly classmates that he studied with and occasionally went out to dinner with. It wasn’t the fervent, all-embracing friendship that Hamilton and his friends had, but that wasn’t his style.

Both Hamilton and himself had grown up as orphans. How did that lead to such a different outlook on life and such a different personality? Without parents, Hamilton had never learned how to have an internal censor. He said everything he thought. He showed his emotions at the drop of a pin. He never hid himself from the world. He fought tooth and nail for everything that he wanted. While this would have been the downfall for some - with Hamilton, it was the cause of his success. Professors loved it when he challenged their teachings and made everyone think. Classmates adored him because he was never fake yet never cruel - not with his praise, criticism, or generosity.

Without parents for the past few years, Burr grew up cautious. He was wary of placing trust in anyone or revealing too much information. He never said what he thought, afraid of it doubtlessly offending someone. He kept his emotions at bay because he never wanted them to prevent him from thinking clearly and clouding his judgment. He was successful at school, but not to the same degree as Hamilton was. Nobody particularly disliked him, but nobody liked him.

“It’s a few weeks into your second semester here, Aaron. Have you decided on a major yet?”

Burr knew how karma worked. If he stayed out of trouble, if he offended nobody, if he didn’t make any decisions that he would regret -- then his life would be easy. Simple.

“No, not yet.”


	14. 14: Stay Alive

“We’ve kept the idea of a student council alive until now,” George Washington told them all over dinner one night. “The Board of Trustees was impressed by your final paper. They’ve granted us a hearing. I think they’re willing to consider this.”

Hamilton stood up, hands gripped on the edge of the table. It looked like he was almost ready to flip it in his excitement. “That’s fantastic--” Martha gave him a look. He sat back down, slightly chastened. “I mean. That’s fantastic news! When is the hearing?”

“Two days from now.”

“That’s not that far away,” Laurens said nervously. “Who’s going to be presenting?”

“I can’t. Martha and I are heading to my parents’ farm for the weekend to look after some business. We’re leaving Friday morning. I was thinking--”

“Hamilton, right?” Mulligan asked. “I mean, he’s the obvious choice. He knows the plan inside and out. He’s so fuckin-- I mean, he’s so gosh darn well-spoken that they won’t be able to resist it.”

Washington paused for a moment, considering his words. “No--”

“What?” Lafayette said, startled.

“No. Sorry, Alexander. You were my second choice, but you’re still a freshman and I think the words of someone who has been through the entire system would carry more weight. You’ve only been here for a little more than a semester. My former classmate Charles Lee said that he would come back to Hanover to help me out. He’s an excellent public speaker and will definitely get the job done.”

“I don’t know,” Laurens said. Hamilton said nothing, surprisingly.

“Don’t worry,” Washington said, confidently. “Everything will work out.”

This was one of the very few times in his lifetime that George Washington was wrong.

It started out well. Charles Lee was very put-together, charming, and well-mannered. He had a pleasant voice and way of speaking. Unfortunately, Charles Lee was also incredibly incompetent.

“Good afternoon,” he said. It was 10:00 am. That was a small error. “I wanted to thank the Board of Trustees to take time out of their busy schedule to meet with me. I also want to assure them that this is well worth their time.”

“Good, good,” Hamilton muttered to himself. “Already more polite than I would have been.”

“We are meeting today over an important issue - one that has plagued the entire student body. As a former student at Hanover College, I would like to take some time to bring to light the issues that have been bothering the… uh, entire student body.”

“Uh-oh,” Mulligan whispered.

“Today… today we are meeting to talk about…” Lee looked down at the podium, slightly flustered, as if he had notes with him. Unfortunately, he had been so confident that he was able to talk about the matter on hand - whatever it was - that he hadn’t brought any. “We’re here to talk about an important issue. I would like to address the board first. What opinions do you have on these issues?”

The Board stared at him blankly. One older woman spoke up. “We are not here to talk about the opinions of the Board of Trustees. You are here to state your case and provide further information.”

“Er, yes. Further information on- I believe it’s very important that we…. Excuse me.” He turned around and left the stage, leaving the Board in complete shock.

Hamilton had his face in his hands. “No, no, this can’t be. This was the _one_ shot we had at convincing the Board to start a student council and he completely blew it for us. We need to call George and tell him.”

They hurriedly left the building, only to find Lee pacing outside.

“What the fuck were you doing, man?” Mulligan demanded.

“Are you an imbecile? Do you even know the reason why we were here?” Lafayette asked.

“It’s all George’s fault,” Lee said, hotly. “I still owe him for all the help he gave me when we were in school together and he threw me into this. I was a great speaker back then, but I can’t remember that shit from two years ago in undergrad. He still insists on clinging to all this bullshit about _government_ and _politics_ when his major’s in agriculture. He should just stick to what he knows. Fucking farmboy.”

“ _What did you call him_?” Hamilton asked, quiet with rage.

“Hamilton,” Mulligan warned. “He told you not to get any trouble while he was gone, remember?”

“He didn’t say anything about me,” Laurens said, stepping forward.


	15. 15: Ten Duel Commandments

Lee rolled his eyes. “Are you really doing this right now? I’m a grad student. You’re a lowly undergrad. Are you really suggesting that we fight?”

“Oh, I’m ready to go, bro. I don’t know about you. I don’t appreciate everything you said about George. He’s been nothing but supportive and generous to us, so…” Laurens took his jacket off and dramatically threw it at Hamilton, who caught it.

“That’s how he gets you,” Lee muttered. “All of the kindness is a front. If you insist, though…” He began to take his jacket off as well.

Laurens put his fists up - but before anything could happen, Burr walked up to the group. He had been passing by on his way to the library. “What’s going on? You all know that if you injure someone through a fistfight, it’s a punishable offence, right?”

“I don’t even go here anymore,” Lee muttered, starting to put his jacket back on again.

“What, like you’re going to tell on us?” Hamilton asked. “Typical of you, Aaron.”

Burr hesitated. “I would report it if it got serious. I think physical violence is a silly thing to resort to.”

Lafayette rolled his eyes. “Fine. We will not - how do you say it, beat his ass?”

The minute Burr walked away, Laurens turned and decked Lee in the right jaw. It wasn’t hard enough to cause any permanent injury or even cause a mark, but it was enough to cause Lee to stumble back and clutch his face in surprise and pain.

“I had to do that just once. That was for George and for ruining our chances with the Board of Trustees.”


	16. 16: Meet Me Inside

They knew that they would hear about it once Washington returned, though. That was inevitable. He sat them all down before their study group and looked at them with a disappointed expression.

“I know that I had made the wrong choice in asking Charles Lee to speak for us to the Board of Trustees - but what all of you decided to do was immature and foolish. I don’t care who punched him in the face. I know that you all supported him and that any one of you would have done it. I know Charles was speaking ill of me - but that is between the two of us and I think you might have done more wrong to my reputation by punching him to stand up for me.”

“What did you expect us to do, though?” Hamilton asked, frustrated. He looked over at Laurens who was sitting sullenly in the corner, though in a chastised way, very similar to a dog who has been scolded but felt that it was undeserved.

“I expected all of you to have been bigger men than him,” Washington said simply. “Now, the minute I heard what happened, I sent Lafayette to the Board and they’ve granted us a second hearing. Oddly enough, I feel as though he’s the most even-tempered of the four of you...”

“It is a French thing,” Lafayette said, modest. “The wine makes us mellow.”

“I expect all of you to work hard on presenting for this hearing. All of you - except Hamilton.”

Everyone stared at him.

“What?” Hamilton asked, quiet.

“Can the rest of you give us a moment in the kitchen? We’ll join you in the living room in a minute.” They stepped into the kitchen.

“I don’t understand.”

“Look, with finals looming and everything going on, I think you have too much on your plate at the moment to worry about working on the student council plan. An 18 credit load with finals, final projects, and two jobs? Any man would find that difficult.”

“But - this is something I’ve worked on _so much_ , it seems unfair -”

“I know. I’m not cutting you out completely. I’m just saying that you need to step back from it for a while. Take Eliza out on a date. Enjoy the fresh air. You’re young and you have all the time in the world, Alex. Enjoy some of it.”

“I _am_ and I would really like to -”

“This isn’t up for debate.” Washington cut him off, voice firm. “I am in charge of pushing the student council plan through and I am taking you off the committee for the unforeseeable future.”

Hamilton stood in the kitchen for a second, uncharacteristically silent. In a sudden move, he grabbed his school bag and stormed out of the apartment without saying another word.


	17. 17: That Would Be Enough

“I don’t understand why he did that,” Hamilton grumbled, as he and Eliza sat down to dinner. “I’ve worked so hard. I’ve put so much energy into planning for this student council. It’s unfair of him to take it away from me like this. I get that we have finals coming up, but it’s enough for me to handle! I’ve finished most of my final projects, anyway-”

“Alex,” Eliza said, tone oddly subdued. “I really need to talk to you about something.”

“Oh?” Hamilton replied, half-hearted. “What is it?”

“I think… I think we should take a break. From each other.”

Hamilton blinked. “Wait. What?”

“I don’t know how else to say it,” Eliza fretted. “I understand you have a lot on your plate. I understand that the student council is important to you. I understand all of that. I feel like I’ve only seen you in passing these past few weeks, though, and I feel like - every time I even see you or we sit down to dinner, you don’t have time for me. I don’t need constant attention or expensive gifts or anything… I just need you to set aside some time for me. To ask me how my day is going.”

“I- I don’t know what to say, Eliza. I had no idea-” Hamilton slumped forward onto the table, head in his hands. “God, I feel like such an idiot.”

“I feel like if we took a break from each other,” Eliza continued, “it would help me clear some things up.”

“Eliza, please. Now I know why George took me off the student council planning committee. I’ll stop complaining about it, I promise. I still need to dedicate some time to studying and writing - but I promise I’ll be a better boyfriend from now on. That was my first warning. If you even have to give me a second warning…”

Eliza bit her lip, pensive. She knew what her sisters would do in this situation. Angelica would insist on going forward with the break. She would take the time to “find herself” and make the guy sweat. Peggy would sweetly agree to giving him a chance, then milk the situation for all it was worth. She wasn’t either of her sisters, though.

“Okay,” she said, then nodded firmly as if to convince herself. “I forgive you, Alex. In the future, I promise to bring these issues up to you so we can work through them.”

“You know what would make it easier for us to spend time together?”

“What?”

“If we moved into an apartment together.” Hamilton paused and when Eliza didn’t say anything, he grew more excited about the plan. “We could start looking now and rent one out at the start of the summer when I have to move out of the dorms anyway. Do you think you can convince your father? I could wake you up and make breakfast for you every morning. It would be amazing. That way, even if I have to stay up late writing or spend all of my time not working studying… at least I’d be doing it in the same room as you and we’d still be spending time together--”

“Alex?”

“Yes?”

“Shut up,” Eliza said, leaning over the table and kissing him.


	18. 18: Guns and Ships

America was wonderful. 

America was _magnifique_.

Lafayette loved the fervor with which they approached everything, unlike the French, who did express their emotions, yes (they weren’t English, after all) - but nothing like the Americans.

Take college sports, for example. Lafayette knew that in most colleges, the biggest sport was American football and that this college was strange in having European football - or _soccer_ as they called it - as their primary sport, but the students still approached it the same way. It also gave Lafayette an edge, having grown up supporting Les Bleus in France and knowing what he did about the sport.

The first gameday, he woke up early. He was excited beyond belief. He had borrowed a grill from someone and bought some facepaint. He wore the school colors. He was ready to cheer on the team. 

It was 9 in the morning and the game wasn’t until 2 pm.

Hamilton had also woken up early in order to finish up some schoolwork so he could attend the game - he was working after the game, too - and gave him a bemused look over coffee. “You’re excited.”

“You see, we have this sport in France - and we have what you Americans call hooligans, yes, but we call them ultras and they are normally separate from the rest of the audience. Cities are also divided in their support for different club teams. I have never seen the entire community come together like so for any sports team. Well, aside from the World Cup,” he mused. “But never with tailgating.”

To be fair, Lafayette was mostly excited to tailgate.

He paused for a second as Hamilton scribbled a note in the margins of his homework - probably something he had just thought of to add into another one of his essays. “Do you ever dream of living in another country, Alexander?”

“Yes, sometimes I think it could be fun - but only for a short period of time, like you are doing.”

“Don’t remind me,” Lafayette said, a little sadly. “I do miss my grandmother and Adrienne, but I will be sad when I have to return home.”

\--

Over winter break, Lafayette had returned to his family home in the countryside of France for a short period of time, but now he was back at school to learn more, to experience American life, and to make an impact with his last semester there. When he got back, he stopped by Washington’s place with some beautiful plates that he had brought back from France with him.

“These are for you,” he said, handing them to Martha as Washington looked on in a fond, fatherly fashion. “Adrienne helped me pick them out. Thank you for taking me in and making me feel welcome.”

“Oh, you are absolutely welcome,” Martha said, touched. “It must be overwhelming to settle into a new country. We were just doing the best we could to help you.”

\--

The Eagles won 5-2 the first game that Lafayette watched, a triumphant second half after a nervy first half that left them heading into the break with a 2-2 draw. 

He was hooked. Foam fingers, a marching band during halftime, the school mascot - a slighty creepy looking eagle with an enormous head to body ratio - doing backflips with every goal scored. America was loud, exuberant, garish, and beautiful.

\---

The second hearing went much better than the first. Washington spoke and the Board of Trustees seemed interested in what he had to say.

“If we grant you this student council,” the president asked, “who would be on the board? What are their qualifications? Will you hold an election?”

“At present, an election would be excessive as we are unsure how anyone would perform on a student council without any precedent,” Washington said. “We will use next year as our charter year to determine if the positions that we have set in place will actually be of any use.”

“If you give us a list of the board members that you propose, with their qualifications, we may be able to make it happen. If we grant you this student council, though, you will also have to list what you aim to accomplish next year and how you will ensure that this council perpetuates even when you are not around. Best of luck, Mr. Washington.”

Afterwards, Lafayette turned to Washington. “I know he’s currently busy with apartment hunting, but you know who we need back, don’t you?”

“Yes, I know.”


	19. 19: History Has Its Eyes On You

“George,” Martha said sternly. “You’re working too hard. Don’t be a hypocrite. You just criticized poor Alex for being a workaholic and now you’re doing the same thing. I’m very happy he accepted your apology. I think you were too harsh on him.”

“I was no such thing,” Washington replied, closing his laptop with a sigh. “He constantly pushes himself past his limit without realizing it. Lafayette also tries to do it all - but at least he realizes when he needs to rest.”

“Says the man in graduate school, planning on being president of a student government that is going to have little bearing on his livelihood in a few years,” Martha said wryly. 

“I- ...oh, what can I say? You’re always right.” He stood up and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the forehead. “It’s strange. I know I’ll be an excellent student council president, but I’m not doing this for me. I’m not sure if I’m doing it for the school either. I just know that Alex and his friends want so badly to see this succeed - that they think this is the only way _they_ can succeed in school - and I think the world of them. They would do anything for me so I’m, in part, doing this for them.”

“You’re just enjoying playing dad to the fatherless.”

“Am not,” Washington replied, though he knew that - as always - she was right. “I just hope I don’t mess things up and disappoint anyone.”

“I’m sure you’ll be amazing. Even if you do make mistakes, though, time rolls on. You’ll get your graduate degree soon enough, then we have the wedding, then the family farm - and then you can invite all of your sons over to the farm for weeks at a time and be dad to your heart’s delight,” Martha teased.

“I’m not their dad!”

“In the words of the internet, oh yes, you are very dad.”


	20. 20: Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)

Washington was judged by Martha for texting Hamilton instead of calling him or speaking to him in person, but Washington insisted that was the best way, unless she wanted both of them embarrassed. She left the room with an eyeroll and sighed “men!” on her way out.

_sorry. i hope we’re still invited to the housewarming party. ps: want to be treasurer of student council?_

Hamilton might have pumped his fist in the air when he received the text, but he played it cool in the reply.

_yes!!!!!!!_

\---

While Hamilton had stepped down from his position in the newspaper, Mulligan was still on board as one of the contributors as well as a senior editor. He was also one of the top students in the fashion program. _King_ George was upset that nobody in America had clothes that were in his style. He had to import them all and when they wore out or he wanted some slight adjustments made, he couldn’t take them to just any tailor. Therefore, when he heard of an up-and-coming student in the fashion school who just had an _eye_ for clothes and style - and was always admittedly fashionably dressed - he knew he had to act.

Therefore, Hercules Mulligan was personal tailor to none other than King George, and the bits and pieces of information that he collected from what he overheard - and from what he researched in the library and via internet news databases - all collaborated around one central story. The Hanover family were quite corrupt. George’s father was on the board and George himself wasn’t even a registered student. They strategically used money to advance the practices that they wanted. Of course, this was highly suspected by everyone who went to the school, but it was the first time there was hard proof laid out - and printed in the newspaper.

\---

Lafayette was constantly in contact with Hanover College’s sister college in Paris, France. They had learned about what was happening in New York and thought that a student council was a great idea. A group of influential students from a few prominent French families wrote a letter to the Board of Trustees stating that they agreed that since the students were the ones attending and paying for the school, there should be some way for them to have a say in what went on in the school.

\---

Laurens never stopped writing about the student council battle on his blog and it gained some interest on the internet. It helped that he was a member of a large number of groups that promoted diversity, ranging from ethnic diversity to LGBT groups.

“Not only do we need a student council,” he constantly reminded his friends, “but we need one that can represent _all_ students, not just the straight, white majority.”

\---

They all played their part.

It was finals week. Afterwards, everyone planned on staying around for another week before they all went their separate ways for the summer. Eliza and Hamilton were throwing their housewarming party in their new apartment and it was also going to be a farewell party for Lafayette, who was going back to France.

The scene: Tuesday morning. They had submitted a new, revised plan for the student council including a list of board members selected by Washington the past Friday. 10 am. Washington sent out a group text message to everyone.

_we won._

Hamilton texted back three thumbs up emojis, three “100” emojis, and: _thanks for all your hard work, everyone - especially you, president washington!!!_


	21. 21: What Comes Next?

_King_ George had his own YouTube channel where he posted video diaries. Many of them involved him introducing his cats to his YouTube audience and reviewing different brands of tea - but this one was important. 

This one was serious.

“Dear audience,” he said, pausing to squint at the screen and fix a stray hair. “I am absolutely in _shock_ at what the students of Hanover College have decided to do. My family have contributed both monetarily and in terms of guidance towards the school over the past few decades - but never have we seen such disrespect. It’s disappointing.”

He pulled one of his cats into his lap, petting it as he looked into the camera. “Students of Hanover, this message is for you. Just trust that we know what’s best for you. Trust that we know what we are doing and you will regret what _you_ are doing. Once you become involved with budgets and funding and rules - and all those other absolutely _boring_ facets of a student council - you’ll regret it. Why not simply enjoy your college days? You have a student council named on paper. You have a written plan. What you don’t have is a guarantee that it will work out. Plans rarely ever work out the way you want them to…”


	22. 22: Dear Theodosia

Burr snapped a picture of her and added it to his snapchat story. She was absolutely perfect. Beautiful eyes, delicate features - absolutely adorable. “#theodosia #caturday”, he wrote, as he posted a second picture onto Instagram.

Theodosia blinked at him, then turned back to looking out the window. Her tail flicked lightly. Earlier that morning, she had been at the animal shelter, but now she was settling into Burr’s apartment. It was a small but comfortable place not too far from campus. He had some furniture for it but he needed to pick up a few more essentials over the summer before it was comfortably liveable.

“Who’s a beautiful girl?” He said, running his hand over the top of Theodosia’s head. She arched her back slightly and began to purr.

\--

“Oh my goodness, he’s the one,” Eliza said, stopping in front of a cage. “I know he is.”

“Are you sure, Eliza? You haven’t even met him yet.”

“I know.”

The shelter employee unlocked the cage door and opened it. A small spaniel with huge, floppy ears scampered out. It skittered to a halt in front of Eliza, cocked its head, then as a smile spread across her face and she stooped down, jumped up to lick her face, tail wagging excitedly. The minute Hamilton stooped down as well, the dog frantically jumped between the two of them as if undecided on who to shower with affection.

Eliza laughed happily - and it was at that moment that Hamilton agreed with her. If he could make Eliza laugh like that, he was the one.

“Okay,” he relented. “He’s pretty cute.” In reality, he was already as far gone as Eliza. Who wouldn’t be, with those big eyes, slightly oversized paws, and curly-haired ears?

“I know. Aren’t you, boy? Who’s the cutest little puppy?”

“What are we going to call him?”

“Phillip,” Eliza replied. “He looks like a Phillip.”


	23. 23: Non-Stop

[BONUS SCENE]

It was a short note - but the fact that Laurens took the time to hand-write it rather than sending a text or an email meant the world to Hamilton.

“Family emergency. I only had a few days to move back to California, but you and Eliza were on vacation and I didn’t want to bother you with a text or call. You needed the break - plus I think email, note, or call, there’s honestly no way of saying everything I want to say. 

I might be transferring out here to finish out college. Probably will be, let's not lie, but even when I do, there’s no reason we won’t see each other again, Alex. Sorry I had to leave like this. Thanks for everything you know you’ve done for me and everything you have no idea you’ve done for me.

Best, John”

\----

Burr stepped out of his apartment and locked the door behind him, making sure that Theodosia didn’t dash out into the hallway behind him in the process. It was his first day of work at his summer internship, a law firm in the city of Albany. Both fortunately and unfortunately, there had been two internship openings at the firm and the other had gone to--

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he heard from his right. It couldn’t be. He turned.

“Alex? Really? Do _you_ live here as well?”

Hamilton slipped his keys into his pocket and pulled his bag a little higher on his shoulder. His bag was always filled, heavy with books. “Yes. Eliza and I just moved in about a week ago. I invited you to my housewarming party on Facebook…”

“I was busy moving as well. Sorry.” There was a slightly awkward pause in the conversation but just as Hamilton looked as if he was going to open his mouth to say something, Burr continued. “Congratulations on the internship, by the way. It looks like we’ll be seeing each other a lot over the summer.”

“Ditto to you as well, Aaron. Say - have you heard about that essay-writing contest they’re running in conjunction with the convention in Albany over the summer? I’m thinking about writing mine as a proposal for how the student council is going to operate. Budgets, plans, the whole works…”

“You still have that job at the coffee shop, don’t you? Now this internship is going to be taking up the rest of your free time. ...Do you even know the concept of free time?”

“No time is free,” Hamilton replied. “You can always spend it doing _something_ \- and if you don’t, you’re wasting it. You know, if you helped me with this essay, we could probably win it and split the grant. I know you’re a little hesitant about the student council, but you support it, right? I think we’d work together well. I ramble a lot. I spend paragraphs getting to the point. The main reason I get really good grades is because when I eventually get to that point, it’s a _good_ one, and I’ll be the first to admit that. But you - you somehow never seem to stick with one point of view in your essays, but when you are actually, honest-to-god passionate about something, you are beautifully eloquent and persuasive. You could probably convince me to like King George if you wanted to, honestly, that’s how good you are. We could probably crush the competition together. What do you say?”

Burr thought carefully. “I’m all for the student council, Alex. You know that. This is our education and we have every right to make demands on what experience we will have. I think we need to tread carefully, though. George and his family are still involved with this school. There are so many different factions within the student body itself, too. I don’t think something drafted up in one summer - in the month leading up to the essay deadline, more like - will satisfy everyone.”

Hamilton shrugged. “That’s why we’ll change it as we go. We can always amend it before the start of the school year. Besides, don’t you want to _do_ something, Burr? You’re doing well in your classes, sure, but don’t you want to make a mark on this school before you graduate?”

“We’re going to be late for our first day.”

Laurens moved to California. Lafayette returned to France. Eliza found a summer job, took Phillip to puppy obedience school, and fretted over how busy her boyfriend was getting. Washington looked forward to what the next school year would bring. Angelica decided to study abroad in England for the next semester. Burr excelled in his internship but still did not declare a major.

 _what’s up with alex?_ Angelica texted her sister. _i stopped by when he was working at the coffee shop and he looked soooo stressed and tired_

_that’s his natural state, dearest sister, didn’t you know?_

_lol  
but seriously, tell him to get some sleep._

_I’m trying, believe me. Every time I do he starts talking about his essay and how he has to write it and makes plans for the convention and the grant money he’s going to get and UGH. Of course, I hope he wins the contest and the money would be nice so he doesn’t fall apart stressing over how the student council is going to pay for everything to start out with next year - but come on, give a woman a break!!_

_giiiirl, i think you might need some rest as well_

_Tell me about it. Phillip gets yappy when he sees squirrels or other dogs on the street outside but that’s nothing compared to how yappy Alex gets when you bring up his internship or how Aaron Burr lives in the same building as us. Alex also wants to fight everyone bigger than him_

_wait, what??? burr lives in the same building as you? omg he’s such a creep._

_I didn’t tell you?? Alex is CONVINCED he is stalking us. Mostly him. I can’t tell if Alex hates him or wants to be friends with him._

_gross_

_Okay, time to get ready for work. You’ll have to come and have dinner with us before you head off to England!! I’m so jealous you’re going! Love ya sis._

_[kiss emoji]_

Hamilton wrote his essay in a single week and won the grant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, me again. I hope you enjoyed the first act! I'm taking a brief hiatus before starting the second act. Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it.
> 
> When I jump into a fandom, I write first and then read later so I can get my own interpretations down - so I didn't realize how many Hamilton college AUs there are in existence. I'm sure they're all amazing and I'll read them all soon, but that makes me all the more pleased that so many people are enjoying this one. Much love - and I'll see you all on the other side.
> 
> PS: Please thank R, my co-conspirator, for convincing me to keep Laurens alive.


	24. 24: What'd I Miss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm back! What'd I miss?
> 
> \--Okay, in all seriousness, life happened. It happened so hard. I'm not sure if anyone was following this fic, but if you were and you thought I had abandoned it, I'm sorry! I'm back to hopefully finish it. I'll still post two chapters at a time, but it may be less frequently than what I did with the first act.

Just the hint of fall was in the air as everyone returned to Hanover from their summer adventures, ready to face the new school year. The sun was warm on their faces during the day but the occasional crisp bite of the night air reminded them that the seasons were still turning. Hanover, physically, was the same as everyone remembered it, but there were a few missing faces.

Laurens was now living in California. Lafayette had returned to France to finish his studies. Angelica was studying abroad in England. Mulligan had to put a pause on his college career to help out with the family business, unfortunately. 

Hamilton himself had returned from a summer that mostly consisted of hard work, though it had been broken up by a delightful road trip with Eliza and Phillip, and he now had his hard-won grant and was ready to take the campus by storm as the Treasurer of the student council.

“Who’s the Secretary, by the way? I’ve never met this Thomas Jefferson guy.” He sat at the kitchen table, happily eating some casserole that Martha had set in front of him because she thought he looked a little too skinny for her liking. “I was too busy this summer to stalk him on Google, but I do know his friend, James Madison. He helped me out over the summer with part of my grant proposal.”

“I thought he would be a perfect fit for our board. He was off studying in France last year and met up with Lafayette over the summer before returning back, which means he knows what our situation is. He even wrote a blog about all of his travels in France.” Washington checked his watch - a birthday gift from Martha - and frowned distractedly. “I’m sure you’ll get along.”

There was a knock on the door and a few other students on the council that year entered. Hamilton waved at them without looking up while he quickly loaded Jefferson’s website on his phone’s browser. A picture of Jefferson’s face inside a star popped up and he had to click it to get to the blog page. “Of course he has a blog,” he muttered to himself, already disliking the guy. He was somehow forgetting that he himself had a fairly active blog. “France, France, France… blah blah blah… Wow, I am _sooo_ educated and enlightened by this trip to Europe. Look how cultured I am!”

As Hamilton grumbled to himself, there was another knock on the door and Hamilton looked up right as Thomas Jefferson walked in. He had the same smug expression as his face in the star did and was wearing a ridiculously flashy shirt. James Madison trailed after him as he walked into the kitchen, nodding at everyone left and right as he did. “Hello, hello. Nice to meet you. It’s true; I am back from France. Oui, c’est moi.”

“Ah, Thomas,” Washington said, standing up to shake his hand. “It’s good to see you. Did you enjoy your time in France?”

“Enjoy France?” Jefferson echoed, perching himself on a corner of the kitchen table despite Martha’s murderous glare. “I loved it. Absolutely loved it. I learned _so_ much while studying there. But - I’m back. We can start the meeting now.”

Now Hamilton knew that he definitely disliked the guy.


	25. 25: Cabinet Battle #1

“Now that we have our student council,” Washington said, “we can propose a budget to the school and decide what activities to fund. They’ll vote on the final budget, of course, but if we present them with a sound enough plan, I’m sure they’ll agree to it. Thoughts?”

“I think we should spread the money out as much as we can,” Hamilton began. “Hanover College is supposed to give us a well-rounded education, right? The arts department is so under-funded, though, it’s almost laughable. Not to mention the lack of funding for any remotely educational student activity. Ironic. I think we need to look at the money as a collective, but agree that every activity deserves an equal opportunity to--”

“Whoa, whoa,” Jefferson held his hands up, sliding off the corner of the table. “If we fund every activity equally, we run out of money quickly. You know where the money is? The soccer team. They bring us prestige, they bring the school money, they provide an exciting outing for us… Everyone wins. They get the bulk of the funding currently because they generate the most revenue.”

“I know your little buddies are on the team,” Hamilton shot back, irritated by the interruption. Jefferson raised his hands higher, quickly followed by an innocent shrug. “It’s unfair to the rest of us who want a larger variety of activities here at Hanover. If you’re part of the student council and have an interest in student government activities, how could you not want a debate team? Or more funding for the student newspaper?”

Jefferson laughed. “See, those are all activities that _you’re_ interested in. You’re looking out for yourself. I’m looking out for everyone. Sure, I went to the same high school as a few of the guys on the soccer team. They’re my friends. I have friends everywhere, though. I’m a likeable guy. I’m making sure we have something that _everyone_ can enjoy. The great sport of football. Or _futbol_ as they call it in Spain. I took a side trip there. Highly recommend it.”

Hamilton stared at him as if his hair had just decided to twist up into stick figures and perform a little dance. “You’re kidding me. Are you even saying actual words right now?”

“80% of the people polled on the school’s website say that their favorite extracurricular activity here at Hanover College is the soccer team,” Madison butted in quickly. Jefferson nodded sagely as if he knew this all along.

“Yes, but we don’t have to choose between soccer and other activities.” Hamilton stood up, facing Jefferson. “I just want to make sure that all activities have an equal chance at funding and if _you_ can’t understand a concept as simple as that--”

At that moment, Washington stepped in between them. “Okay, okay, that’s enough! This is getting a little too heated. Let’s have a short break. Alex, I want to talk to you in the living room.”

“Can you _believe_ that guy?” Hamilton burst into anger the minute they stepped into the living room, pacing back and forth. “He’s so narrowminded in his cause that--”

“Alex.”

“--that he refuses to even _listen_ to what I’m saying--”

“Alex!”

“--and goes off on his little tangents instead! I--”

“Alex, I need you to figure out a budget that the two of you can agree on. You’re the Treasurer, yes - but he’s the Secretary, an equally important role. He’s very smart in his own way, even though you may disagree with him. I trust both of your opinions.”

Hamilton’s eyes widened and he stopped in his tracks as if he was physically stunned that he had to compromise with Thomas Jefferson. “One that we _agree_ on?”

“Yes. You have two weeks to draft it so we can agree on it, finetune it, and implement it for the second half of the year.”


	26. 26: Take a Break

_hey! miss you! how’s it going back home?_

_I miss you too, Angelica. It’s not too bad, I guess. Not too good either. Jefferson is bugging the hell out of me. I have to figure out a budget that both of us can agree on or… or… I don’t know what’ll happen. Maybe we don’t get a budget? I’m off the council? I like it when you message me, though. It brightens my day._

_yikes to the first part about Jefferson and i’m glad about the second part. :) hey, so i’m just letting you know i’ll be back for my parents anniversary in a week! it’ll kill me to miss a day of school, but they’re throwing a flashy party at their house and want me to be there so they’re flying me in._

_It’ll be good to see you._

It was such a short message compared to the paragraphs he usually sent Angelica, but he didn’t know what else to say. It seemed a little too earnest, now that he thought about it. A little too sincere. Was it too earnest? He saw the bubbles momentarily, signifying that she was typing a reply. Then - nothing. He stared for a moment, unsure why he was even staring at an empty message. The bubbles appeared again, stayed for a few seconds, then a reply flashed up.

 _you too!_ \-- with a kiss emoji at the end.

What had she been planning on saying? It clearly wasn’t “you too”. And what did that darn kiss emoji mean?

\---

“Alex!” Eliza ran up the stairs and stopped at his office’s doorway, breathless, a flush on her face from the run. “Alex! You have to come-- oh, not this again!”

Hamilton was sitting at his desk, staring at the papers in front of him. Not writing. Not reading. Just staring. “What? Oh -- Eliza, I need to figure out this budget. I just spoke with Thomas today in an attempt to compromise and we went backwards again, I think. This is driving me insane.”

“You know what would help? A little break from your work. Come on. Come downstairs, Phillip just learned a new trick.”

“I can’t! There’s… there’s just so much to get done.”

“ _Alexander_.”

“Okay, okay, let’s go.” He followed her downstairs to where Phillip was lying in front of the couch on the rug, chewing on a plastic chew toy. He dropped it and started wagging his tail when he saw the two of them approaching.

“Alright, my little one,” Eliza said, stooping down. “Let’s show your daddy this trick. Be a good boy and remember it now. Phillip… high five!”

Eliza held her hand up with the palm facing outwards and Phillip tilted a head at it before sitting down and raising his front paw to paw at it a couple times. Eliza beamed. “Good boy! Oh my goodness, you’re _such_ a good boy. You’re the best boy!”

Phillip was so excited by the prospect of being the best boy that his tail was wagging so furiously, his whole body was wriggling. Hamilton was grinning as well.

“Well… okay. I feel like an idiot now because that was adorable. Can I try?”

“Sure! Oh, hang on, Angelica just sent me a text. You know I’m picking her up at the airport today, right? Are you still not coming to stay over at my family’s house for a few nights? You know that Angelica would love to see you. And my parents. Well - maybe that’s a lie, but definitely Peggy. ...Alex?”

Hamilton broke away from playing with Phillip to look up, expression apologetic. “I’m sorry, I just have so much to do. I’m overloaded with homework and I still have to finish that budget proposal. I can’t be distracted this weekend, but I’m sure you’ll have a fun with with your family. I’ll make it up to you, though, I promise!”

Eliza sighed, standing back up again. “Okay, I’ll tell her, but she won’t be happy about it.”

A few hours later, after Eliza had left for the airport, Hamilton got a text. It wasn’t the angry, long rant that he had expected from Angelica, but much more subdued. A little sadder.

_you’re not coming out to see me?_

He tried to write out an excuse. He tried to write something that was more than an excuse. He knew that she was probably seeing the typing bubbles on her end and wondering what he was writing, but he ended up deleting it all. It was no use. 

_No, I can’t. I’m sorry. Have a good trip!_


	27. 27: Say No To This

There was a breaking point and Hamilton was there. He wanted to take one arm and sweep all of the pages dealing with the budget off his desk and right into the trash can. He wanted to scream and jump up and down. He wanted to throw things. It didn’t help that all he saw on Snapchat - which Eliza had downloaded onto his phone for the sole purpose of seeing her “snaps” - were cute pictures of Eliza and Angelica that they kept sending him. Damn his stubbornness and pride.

He stood up and paced around the room for a moment, but even burning off that extra energy didn’t help.

“I need a walk,” he muttered to himself. Phillip, who had been lying underneath his desk, perked up at the word ‘walk’ - but Hamilton shook his head. “Not you, little buddy. This is a grown-up walk.”

He braced himself against the wind as he stepped out into the night. It was a chillier night than he had expected, but he knew exactly where he was going and it wasn’t too far. There were a few bars on or near campus but only one - a slightly shady and kind of dingy one - didn’t care enough to card. He slid onto a barstool when he arrived and immediately ordered a beer and a shot of whiskey. It was that kind of night.

“Impressive,” the girl next to him said, as he slammed the empty shotglass down on the bar and signaled for another one. “I like a man of action.”

He glanced over at her briefly - then looked again. He knew who she was. She was the girlfriend of the soccer team’s star player and the drama department’s darling little starlet. Maria? She was wearing a short red dress that night, lipstick to match, though her eyes looked a little worried and tired.

“Do you want one?” He asked. She looked like she could use one.

“I would _love_ one,” she said, looking up at him through her lashes.

\---

Hamilton walked home from Maria’s apartment, silently cursing himself. How did that happen? How did they get drunk so quickly? How did _that_ happen? How did that _happen_? They were drunk and it was getting late, so he had offered to walk her back to her place. As they stumbled home, she started crying about how her boyfriend was so rude to her, how he didn’t think she was beautiful anymore, and how it was so rare to find a nice guy like Hamilton. Typical drunken crying, Hamilton supposed, but it really distressed him at the time.

When they got to her place, she was still upset, so he took her invitation to go up to her place to see if he could calm her down and then-- And then--

He swore out loud this time, scaring a couple of freshmen who were walking in the opposite direction. Idiot. He was an _idiot_. She had looked so gorgeous when she said goodbye to him that morning, though, wearing only a thin red robe. Her lipstick was somehow still immaculate and--

His phone buzzed. A call. An unknown number.

“Hello?”

“Yeah, Hamilton?”

“Yes. Who is this?”

“This is James Reynolds. You know. The guy whose girlfriend you were _fucking_ last night. I could tell she didn’t spend the night alone and it was pretty easy to get it out of her. I mean - hey, don’t hang up - I get it. She’s hot. She’s easy. It’s understandable and it’s cool, dude. We’ve all got those urges. But if you don’t want your girlfriend… or your teachers… or your cute little after school clubs to find out… There’s a price.”

Hamilton pressed his lips together, wanting to dash the phone onto the cement beneath him. “What is it?”

“Two requests. More like demands. I know you work at the cafe near the student union. I want free coffee every single day - exactly the way I want it. That's the simple one. I also want you to do all my homework and write my papers for me.”

More work. More writing. He almost laughed into the phone, a sarcastic and dry laugh, but he didn’t. Instead he stood there for a long moment, silent, thinking about what Eliza’s reaction would be if she found out what he had done.

“Okay.”


End file.
